Pedagogically minded San Francisco septet Citay’s third album Dream Get Together inspired a writing project of the same name. As their label Dead Oceans notes, a dream get together could very well refer to “the concept of an ideal musical pairing, or the ultimate joining of musical forces,” among other things:

We were inspired by this and decided it was time to ask some of our friends in the music community what their “dream get together” would be. The response has been wonderful with contributions from Jens Lekman, The Antlers, Suckers, Steve McBean of Black Mountain and Pink Mountaintops, Nicole Atkins, Bishop Allen, Akron/Family, Excepter, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Foreign Born, tUnE-YaRdS, Parts & Labor, Welcome Wagon, and more.

Each of these folks, and others, wrote up their “dream get together.” Citay’s posting a new one each day until the release of the collection. Since album track “Mirror Kisses” features Merrill Garbus, aka tUnE-YaRdS, on lead vocals, it makes sense to start with her choice. We’re told the song was written with her voice in mind. She, in turn, wrote her “dream get together” with Hildegard von Bingen, Lhasa, and Patsy Cline, among others, in mind.

Hildegard von Bingen, Lhasa, and Patsy Cline come down from heaven. They choose a glorious chapel with sunlight streaming in and we sing for hours, a cappella style. Meanwhile Charlie Chaplin does stunts with the Catholic paraphenalia (wafers, candlesticks, crosses.) Rokia Traore comes in to sing and play guitar, Barrington Levy calls from outside — he’s brought the Barrett brothers as rhythm section. Fela brings his sax. We dance.

Dream Get Together is out 1/26 via Dead Oceans. You can keep up to date on the writing at citay.net. A past blurb from Jens Lekman:

Imagine Beethoven, in the last hazy days of his lead poisoning. Imagine him stumbling through his house, transfixed by a vibration, something he because of his deafness can’t hear, but can feel. Now imagine Kool and the Gang, in Beethovens foyer, rehearsing “Ladies Night” for the first time.

Imagine Beethoven running, his ear turned the right way – his eye not, crashing violently into Kool himself, just as they go into the “This is your night tonight” crescendo. Just imagine.